So today I gave my speech during the chapel time. Usually, giving speeches doesn't bother me at all, I just get up there and do it, but--for whatever reason--this time I was all shakey and could barely keep my voice still. My sermon was about prejudice, assuming things about people, and how people are really all the same, they just look, act, think differently.

First I gave the speech in English, and students started to nod off. However, when I started speaking in Japanese they all woke up instantly and they all started looking at me so intently and, happily, they all listened to what I was trying to say about discriminating against foreigners, handicapped people, anybody, and how treating different people differently is wrong, etc. After I initially began speaking in Japanese, many of the kids started talking in surprise, but I said very firmly, "Shizuka ni, ne!" and they shut up, except for that awful Ito って奴 who decided to yell out, "No way!" (嘘!) once he could be heard. Fortunately, I didn't hear him, so I ended up just talking right over him.

Tsukamoto-sensei said my Japanese was flawless; pronunciation, speed, delivery, everything sounded so natural. I was positively thrilled. And many of the students commented that they had really listened to my speech (once I started speaking in Japanese) and they really took to heart what I had said.

I RULE!

Cool Shirt of the Day:

Devil Gang DAG

More to come later when there aren't so many PEOPLE LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER....